Kyliska Sunfire was slightly worried. She has received a letter from one of House Sunfire's spies stating that they had concerns about their Master at Arms. Being that the Master at Arms was none other than her lover Braeth'el Fireleaf, this plagued her to no end. Even though Kyli trusted Braeth'el she was still very prone to jealous emotions, and her thoughts were running wild with what the concerns might be. The letter had said that she should meet at a pool that was on the border of Faetheril and the ruins of Althera. It was one of the pools that she would frequent to relax and tan. This time was different though as she felt on edge. Kyli knew that when she fell for someone, she fell hard and quick; but Braeth’el was different. He was older than her and wiser. He knew how she could be and he accepted that. He loved her for who she was, her faults and all.
Kyli slowed her walk trying to calm herself. “I should not worry until there is something to actually worry about,” she thought to herself. She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair nervously. She arrived at the pool her spy had indicated and was on time. She moved quietly through the trees and knelt down behind a bush to conceal herself. She willed herself to look at the scene unfolding before her. Her mouth was open in disbelief as she saw Rosellina Cooke with Braeth’el in the pool. Not only was she with him, but she was completely naked. Kyliska wanted to look away, she closed her eyes and tried to will the image away. She opened them half expecting to see nothing and that it was all a mirage. But there they still were, Rose’s naked body pressed against her lover’s.
Kyliska’s heart began to race and she almost got up and stormed right over to Rose to drown her in that beautiful pool. Braeth’el and Rose were staring into each other’s eyes and talking to one another. Kyliska was too far away to hear what was being said but it looked intimate. But that was not the worst part, as she watched in horror Rose kissed Braeth’el and he returned the kiss as her hands went into his swimming trunks. Kyliska felt like she was going to be sick. She stumbled, rustling the leaves of the bush she was hiding behind and running away as fast as she could. She did not want to witness anymore of what was about to happen. He lied to her. He had said there was nothing going on between him and Rose. Kyli had just accused them of having an affair not too long ago, and they both denied it.
“Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice shame on you,” Kyliska thought to herself. Now tears were streaming down her face as she ran, not even knowing what direction she was heading. She wasn’t even sure if she was headed back to Sunfire Estate or not. It was one thing to be cheated on, but to bear witness to it was another thing entirely. Her thoughts turned to her once-lover Andithiel as she now knew how he felt when he found her doing the very same thing to him. “I guess I deserve this then,” she thought. “Braeth’el claimed he loved me, when he had never loved another, but he is a spy after all, he is probably used to lying to people.”
Kyliska fell to the ground after she felt like she could not breathe anymore. Partly from running so fast and hard and partly because her heart was breaking. She really felt like she had something more with Braeth’el, something where they could both settle down and get married and start a family together. “Well he can have his human scum if that is what he desires,” she thought bitterly. “I deserve better than that.”
Kyli tried to wipe some of her tears away and to compose herself. She stood up slowly and smoothed her shirt and wiped some leaves away that were on her tight leather pants. She took some deep breaths and thought she might be feeling slightly better. Then the image of Rose and Brae together came back and she knew what she had to do. She had to see her sister, Biara. She was the one person that she could always count on, she could always confide in her. She would comfort Kyli and make her feel better, she always did.
Kyliska made her way towards Sunfire Estate, this time making sure she was going in the right direction, far away from that swimming pool. Far away from the images that would not leave her mind. She needed her sister.
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Biara Dayfire looked up as the door to her private study opened softly, her deep green eyes taking in the intruder and narrowing. Sitting behind her large, polished wooden desk the slender Faeril elf had the comfort of a physical barrier between her and her guests. She continued to glare as Kyliska entered the room and closed the door behind her, her hands coming up to brush errant strands of her fire-red hair from her face.
As Kyliska neared the other side of her desk, teal blue eyes met Biara’s, tears marking them. Biara ignored this for a moment, huffing a little in irritation as her sister settled into one of the chairs across from her, one of Biara’s hands coming down hard palm-first on the desk, her red fingernails glittering with latent magic, “What do you want?”
Kyliska jumped at her sister’s sudden movement. A look of concern crossed her face at the harsh tone in Biara’s voice. “Sister, are you feeling alright? Something has happened to me, and I needed to talk to you about it, but you seem angry.” she started.
“I’m fine,” Biara stated flatly, her face still having a bit of irritation on it. “What do you want, I’m very busy and I don’t have time to deal with other issues. The Magistrate requires regular reports on my experiments as you well know, and they are presenting to the King’s Council in two days.”
Tears started to silently fall from Kyliska’s cheeks as she looked at Biara. “I…..well Braeth’el…..he was with someone else. I do not know what to do sister. I know you are busy and I can leave you alone, but I really just needed to be with you right now.”
Biara rolled her eyes, looking away from her sister for a moment and out one of the large windows that let sunlight into her study and gave her a view of the beautiful green forests of Faetheril beyond, “Well that is just so very surprising, Kyli. I can’t imagine why he’d ever want to do a thing like that…” Biara’s tone was clearly sarcastic and filled with irritation.
Kyliska stared at her sister with her mouth open in surprise. The tone of her voice was so mocking and out of character for Biara. Kyli had no idea why she was acting this way, especially when she could see how upset she was. She thought she would try to comfort her or at least say something nice! “Are you upset with me or something Biara?” she asked.
Biara turned her gaze back to Kyliska, still somewhat glaring at the other Faeril, “Oh, no more than anyone else ought to be really. I don’t know why all of this is a surprise to you. What did you really expect Braeth’el to do? After all his years of loyal service to House Dayfire and later House Sunfire, he deserves to be at least treated with respect and not used by a whore.”
Kyliska gasped as if she were slapped across the face. “Excuse me? How dare you call me a whore! I know I have made mistakes before but haven’t we all?” she started. “I thought Braeth’el and I had something special, and I was not using him! I cannot believe you would say these things to me!”
Biara sighed, rolling her eyes again, “I think it’s pretty obvious that you have been using him, and I can’t blame him one bit for seeking pleasure from someone else. It’s not like he can rely on you in any capacity. This is not an ‘important problem’ that I need to be dealing with right now. I have actual work that needs to be done.”
Kyliska started to cry some more as she continued to stare at her sister in shock. “This is important, I love him Biara, and you know that. How is it clear that I have been using him? We have been good for one another. What have I done that would make him think he cannot rely on me? I just am so confused by your harsh words, are you sure that I have not angered you in any way?”
Biara rose from her chair, both her hands pressed against her desk, her face angry now, “Do not ask obvious questions. You know what you’ve done to him, and to others. Maybe if you could stop taking your clothes off so freely you wouldn’t run into problems like this. I don’t have time to deal with the fallout of your inability to control your carnal lust; I have actually important things to do. Why don’t you leave and go tell someone who doesn’t have any love interests and who you won’t injure when you try to fuck everyone they care about?!”
Kyliska stood to face her sister, still confused as to what she was talking about. “Like I said I know I have made mistakes in the past sister, with Andithiel for one but I have never cheated on Braeth’el! I do know I have been with many men but that was when I was not in a relationship. Sure I had fun but I don’t see why you are being so mean right now. Please tell me if I did something, I just don’t understand your anger towards me right now.”
“If you’re going to stand here and lie to my face, then I want you to leave right now!” Biara shouted. “I saw you in Rayleth’s quarters. I was at the garrison when you were there. That you would stand here and continue to lie to me is a slap in the face! I don’t need a traitorous little bitch like you weighing me down when I have work to attend to. Take your crying to someone that cares because I certainly do not want to hear it any further!”
Biara lurched into motion, moving around her desk quickly and grabbing Kyliska by the shoulder, spinning her and pushing her towards the door, “I’m sure there are some whores in the city that will love to hear your mutual tale of dismay at such things!” When Kyliska tried to protest and hold herself in place, Biara reached up and grabbed her by the hair, pushing her more forcefully towards the door. She gestured, magic reaching out and yanking the barrier opened before one final shove sent the blonde Faeril stumbling into the corridor beyond. “Take some time to think about it and stop being such a bitch!” Biara shouted as she slammed the door in Kyliska’s face.
Once her sister was gone, Biara turned, her back against the door and tears streaming down her face, her heart broken at the fact that Kyliska had slept with her apprentice Rayleth, someone whom Biara herself had been interested in for some time. Little would Biara ever know that it had been a certain human named Rosellina Cooke disguised with magic that had done the deed, or that all of these events were falling precisely in line with the spy’s plans all along.
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Kyliska stood in shock just outside of Biara’s chambers. She had no idea what her sister was talking about. Kyli would never sleep with Rayleth, first of all he was not particularly her type but secondly she would never sleep with someone that Biara had been interested in! She tried to wrap her mind about what had just happened but this empty feeling just started to take over. She no longer had Braeth’el, and now her sister hated her as well. The two most important people in her life had just abandoned her. She felt so alone, that she could hardly breathe. She made her way towards her room and sat down on her bed for a moment. She didn’t even feel comfortable in the safety of her own room. She started to pace and tried to breathe. She was the Lady Sunfire but she had to get away.
Her thoughts went to her biological father Feh’menthar. She had just met him recently after many years of not even knowing he was her true father. He lives with the Sura and had tried to get Kyliska to stay with him to learn the ways of his people. She had not wanted to listen to him and thought he was just trying to get her away from Biara and Braeth’el and her responsibilities as the Lady Sunfire. Now the idea sounded welcoming; Kyliska was indeed half Sura and half Faeril. This might be a good time to learn more about the other half of her heritage now that Braeth’el had moved on and Biara clearly thought Kyli had slept with Rayleth and there seemed to be no changing her mind. She hated her for something she didn’t even do!
With that, Kyli wrote a quick letter to Braeth’el explaining to him that she was leaving, but not telling him that she was seeking out her father once again. Even if he had moved on he would not approve of that. She was curt in her letter but stated that she had to go to one of their garrisons that was in Althera for House Sunfire business and he need not worry. For her sister, Biara would probably not care if she were to leave but she left a short letter for her as well. Finally, Kyli made sure to meet with some of the staff to let them know she was going to be away for a while. She packed some supplies and her sword and then made her way out of Sunfire Estate. She was going to find her father and try to move on from what had just befallen her! 
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